Artificial tooth



' M. E. MERKER.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH. APPLICATION FILED JUNESO. 1917. RENEWED AUG. 26. 1919. '1,3&1,813.

Patented June 1, 1920.

UNITED STATS aras 9; Fri

MELVIN E. MERKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASS-IGNOR TO MERKEB INTERCHANGEABLE. TOOTH CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH.

Patented June 1, 1920.v

Application filed June 30, 1917, Serial No. 177,939. Renewed August 26, 1919. Serial No. 320,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN E. MERKER, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Teeth, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in artificial teeth, and more particularly to the method of fastening the same to their backings.

The invention has for its object to provide a means for preventing the teeth from working loose on their backings and for preventing their securing pins from loosening during the biting action of the tooth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a locking means which consists of a tooth provided with a rearwardly extending enlargement having flat faces which extend angularly with relation to each other, each of which is pierced with an opening which extends diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the t 0th, and a backing plate which is shaped o conformto the angularity of the faces, which plate carries pins for engagement in the openings, which are arranged diagonally with relation to the tooth so that biting action on said tooth will tend to force the tooth more firmly into place.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and ar rangement of parts set forth in the following specification, pointed out'in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompany ing drawing, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tooth constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a modified form of tooth,

Fig. 4 is a rear view of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the tooth on the backing plate.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the numeral 1 designates a tooth having a body provided on its rear side With an enlargement 2, which is provided on its rear face, with angularly extending faces 3 and 4, having formed therein apertures 5 and 6 respectively. These apertures extend diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the tooth and it will thus be seen that biting action on said tooth will force the tooth more firmly against its backing.

The backing plateis designated by the numeral 7, and is provided with a plurality of angularly arranged faces which coincide the faces on the tooth in connection with which it is to be used. Pins 8 are carried by the faces of the backing plate and extend angularly with relation to the longitudinal axis of the tooth so that the biting action on the tooth will cause the tooth to more firmly engage the backing plate and bind the parts together.

It will be apparent that in use the tooth is secured to the plate by securing the pins in their respective openings and when they are in place it will be seen that the tooth will be held againstaccidental movement. Should the tooth tend to move away from the plate it will be seen that the pins will firmly bind against the walls of the apertures and lock the plate and tooth together. Due to the angular relation of the pins and openings with the longitudinal axis of the tooth it will be seen that biting action will more firmly force the tooth against the backing, thus locking the parts against disengagement.

While in the foregoing I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that certain minor changes in the construction combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. An artificial tooth comprising, a tooth body, an enlargement on the rear side of said body, a plurality of flat faces on said enlargement arranged angularly with relation to each other, each of said faces having an opening formed therein and each open- .ing being disposed diagonally with relation to the longitudinal axis of the tooth.

2. An artificial tooth having an enlargement on its rear side, said enlargement being provided with a plurality of angularly disposed faces, each of which is formed with an opening arranged diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the tooth, a backing plate and pins carried by said plate for positioning' in the openings to hold the tooth having a plurality of fiat faces arranged to in place on said plate. engage the faces on the tooth and pins on 10 3. An artificial tooth having a plurality said, plate to enter the openings int-he tooth of flat faces on its rear side, each face havto anchor said tooth in place. lng an openlng extendlng thereinto, said In testimony whereof I affix my signaopenings being arranged diagonally with true. relation to the longitudinal axis of the tooth and parallel toeach other, a backingplate MELVIN E. MERKER. 

